About Me

Malcolm Blacken, also known as "Black", has spent the past 15 years working as a Strength and Conditioning Coach in collegiate football and the NFL. He is now the Senior Director of Player Development for the Washington Football Team, a position he has held for the last 9 years. Before beginning his career, Malcolm attended Virginia Tech on a full football scholarship and majored in Studio Art. Although football has always been a major part of Malcolm's life, art has always been equally as important. He began sketching and drawing at the age of 6 and it has been his primary creative outlet ever since. 

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In more recent years, Malcolm has been able to marry these two passions and create what he calls, high-end, one of a kind sports memorabilia. The distressed fabric in the jersey is carefully created to show at its root, the blue-collar work ethic it takes to continually outwork and outperform those trying to take your spot at each level of play.  The stitching, tears, and burns represent the blood, sweat, and sacrifice necessary to reach the apex of ones' sport.  Mentally and physically it's about so much more than talent, it's about grit.

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"My goal of each piece is to tell the athlete's story, without any need for explanation."

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If you are interested in commissioning a custom piece, please email m.blacken11@gmail.com.

EDITORIALS